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Appeared on: Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Nintendo Surpises With New 2DS Handheld

Nintendo has announced it is launching a new handheld games console. The new 2DS, a stripped down budget version of its 3DS model, will go on sale in Europe on 12 October 2013, priced at $129.99.

Nintendo also plans to offer a $50 discount on its most expensive Wii U console in North America and Europe, to compete with rivals Microsoft and Sony as they prepare to release new hardware.

The new gaming device is a lower-resolution version of the 3DS and will play DS games and 3DS games in 2D graphics. It will come in red and blue and will have two screens and a camera, is about as big as a 3DS laid out flat, but without the foldable clamshell design of the 3DS.

The system also has wireless connectivity features like multiplayer online game play, Nintendo Video content and digitally delivered games in the Nintendo eShop.

With the 2DS, Nintendo hopes to attract new players who have not been able to afford costlier versions of its 3DS, priced at $169.99 and $199.99.

The 2DS release will coincide with the launch of kid-friendly role-playing game "Pokemon X and Y."

From the launch of Wii U last November to June 30, Nintendo has sold 3.6 million units of the console, compared to 9.3 million units of the original Wii sold over the same amount of time.

The game maker now aims to sell 9 million consoles by next March by offering new games and reducing its price. To get there, the company plans to sell its highest-end 32GB version for $299.99, down from $349.99, starting September 20.

But the Wii U could face stiff competition from Sony's PlayStation 4 at $399 and Microsoft's Xbox One at $499, both hitting store shelves in November.

A new limited-edition Wii U bundle featuring The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD also launches on Sept. 20 at a suggested retail price of $299.99. The bundle includes a black Deluxe Wii U console; a GamePad controller adorned with gold lettering, a gold Hyrule crest and gold symbols from the game; a download code for the digital version of Hyrule Historia, a book that details the chronology, history and artwork of The Legend of Zelda series; and a code that can be used to download The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD from the Nintendo eShop immediately at no additional cost.

The digital version of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD will also launch on Sept. 20, while the packaged version launches Oct. 4 with distinctive gold-foil packaging, both at a suggested retail price of $49.99. GameStop is also offering an exclusive Ganondorf figurine bundled with the packaged game at a suggested retail price of $54.99.